Electric alarm-clock.



F. GOSS.

ELECTRIC ALARM CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1911.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

FREDERICK GOSS, OF MILLICENT, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA.

nnnc'rnrc ALARM-CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

Application filed August 23, 1911. Serial No. 645,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Gross, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, &c., residing at Millicent, in the State of South Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating -to Electric Alarm-Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of electric alarm clocks which provides for ringing a bell at predetermined times, or, when an extension is provided, a series of bells. By this. invention the duration of the ring or alarm can be regulated so as to be of one of .a series of predetermined lengths. Provision is made to prevent false ringing, while allowing for setting of connections to produce a series of rings at times which are not wholly distinct from one another as to the groups of contact plug blocks that will be used for making the connections to secure ringing; and there are other novel details of construction which subsequent explanations set forth. Each clock has a battery for its own bell.

The invention is applicable to clocks with 24 hour dials or faces, but is here described and illustrated with reference to those exhibiting the usual 12 hour faces. The modifications which would be required to suit the 24 hour face are obvious and include an increase in the number of dial contact plates, contact blocks, and conducting wires.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation showing an electric appointment or program alarm clock with connections set, by way of example, to ring at 12.30 and at 10.55; Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section and Fig. 3 is a plan of the said clock. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the electrical connections used in the said clock, and in addition, an extension bell in parallel circuit, and an extension battery which may be used when desired. Fig. 5 shows on a larger scale some of the details of Fig. 1. In these figures some of the wires are only partly shown and other wires are omitted. Some of the numbers which would appear close to various plug contact blocks are also omitted.

My invention is not limited to the shapes or designs of parts illustrated, or in respect of obvious details which I may adopt or vary for purposes either of convenience or of ornament. The clock mechanism for example may be of the kind which allows of any suitable winding up and settin of hands, as from the side of the casing. hile I prefer to position the contact plates for the minute and hour hands as will be described, the invention is not limited to such positions.

In these views a represents any suitable clock face or dial, within a front casing 12. The wires shown outside the clock case in Figs. 1 and 2 for convenience of illustration would of course in practice be inclosed by the clock casing partly marked 6 and b Surrounding the dial a ring 0 of insulating material is fitted to the clock, the hands of which are marked f, P. 6

It will be advantageous occasionally to be able to set minute hand f manually to a particular time independently of the hour hand, and for this purpose I may make the minute hand so adjustablefor example, as disclosed in Fig. 2, wherein I have shown the spindle f tapered in proximity to its outer end and merging into a uniform reduced shank, which is threaded for the reception of a set nut g. The minute hand f is passed over the reduced shank and is correspondingly formed to fit the tapered portion of the spindle. The set nut g is thereupon threaded on the shank and tightly wedges the hand against the tapered portion of the spindle, thereby locking the same together against relative rotation. A few revolutions of the set nut will suffice to give perfect freedom to a relative movement of the hand about the spindle.

Means are provided to allow of setting connections to produce a series of alarms at any intervals of time predetermined,for example at any minute, or as illustrated, at any five minute interval. Thus there are a series of five-minute interval groups, 70, of contact plates; in Figs. 1 and at each group has three of these plates, each plate being hereinafter called a minute-hand contact plate, each of said plates being insulated one from another as shown in Fig. 6, and each of these contact plates is connected by a separate wire 70 with a separate and appropriate plug contact block as will be clear from Figs. 1, 1 and 5. I provide a series of sets of plug-Icontact blocks, attached to the clock at its front in proximity to the dial. It is sufiicient for the purpose of indicating their functions that each of the minute hand contact plates 70 is visibly of a different size to that of the other ,two plates of the same group. Each group thus provides for rings of several difierent durations, for example the narrow plate gives a ring of 10 seconds, the medium size one 20 seconds, and the widest plate 30 seconds, respectively, according to the time required by the Wheel k mentioned later to pass over the contact plate. In addition to this a ring of the combined duration proper to a plurality of the said cont-act plates as of two, or of all three, is provided for as explained later. Plug contact blocks, shown in sets of three marked 1, 2, 3, in Fig. 5, correspond for connecting purposes by wires 70 wlth the plates is.

As an example of false ringing and 1ts prevention let it be supposed that instead of a set of three blocks 1, 2, 3, only one block were used in Fig. 5, and-at each set in Fig. 1, and that there were lug cord connections set for alarms to the times 10.30, 12.30 and 12.55. The result would be a false ring at 10.55. But by using any block 1, 2 or 3 for the 10.30 connection and any of the other two for the 12.30 connection no false rlng would, occur. But without increasing the number ofvplat-es 76 per set, the number of these plug contact blocks to a set is at will increased, as when many alarms (several of which may use the same set of plug blocks) are to be provided for, and when false ringing is to be avoided. Each plug contact block shows a visible difi'erence from the others of its set by size, or it may be otherwise shown. The user will thus be reminded that block 1, 2, or 3, may be selected for use according to the length of ring desired. The small block 1 of each set, see Fig. 5, which connects with the small plate is of each set, has holes as 5, 5 which will be used to obtain a ring of say 10 seconds, the larger block 2 holes as 6, 6 for a ring, of say 20 seconds, and the largest block '3 holes as 7, 7 for a ring of say 30 seconds. The set is marked 1 in Fig. 4. To obtain other lengths of rings in such a case holes are provided which connect blocks. Thus a hole is provided at 4 to allow of a plug block contact being made toconnect blocks 1, 2, and 3 together, and so produce a ring for seconds.

A contact arm g with a terminal wheel k which moves over the ring of plates 70, is fitted to the minute hand P, the latter hand being insulated from hour hand 7', which is also insulated from the clock works. Axialinsulation as 1- will serve for these insulations.

g is an arm attached to and extending from hour hand f, and ending outside the normal clock dial, without, causing any interference with the ordinary dial or arrangement of the clock works. This arm 9 is fitted with a contact wheel k which during its rounds presses on one or other of a ring of contact plates 11, which are separated from one another by narrow insulations only; These plates are concentric with the minute hand contact plates, and comprise 12 plates, one to represent each hour, and each called an hour hand contact plate. Each is connected by a separate wire j with an hour plug contact block j of which there are 12 or l2 sets provided. Each block j is provided with a plurality of holes, for example four as shown at 8, 8 in Fig. 5, though there may be more, and these holes or some of them are in the preferred construction distinguishable from one another, for example by their size as shownbut it may be by shape, coloring or other means. The object of this is to prevent confusion arising when there are a number ofplug and cord connections in use at the same time. The plugs for these holes or their cords or both will have appropriate difierences in sizes, 0r colors or shapes so that particular connecting means easily distinguishable from the rest'can be adopted for particular uses. If for example four persons each required an alarm at 12.30 on some days, and on other days some did not require it, each person coulduse plugs with a special easily identified cord, andput these into service and remove them independently of the other persons, there being 4 holes shown in the block relating to hour 12, and more holes still in the five-minutes interval plug block set indicating 30 minutes.

d is a source of current, as a dry cell, of which one (say the positive) pole (Z is connected by a wire as d with one of two terminals n, which are provided on the clock case and are normally connected together by a short circuit plug M, as indicated. This arrangement provides for the addition of an extension bell m Fig. 4 at any suitable distance with extra battery .9, if desired. To connect this battery, plug n is removed, and battery 8' is connected to terminals 17. as by wires shown dotted at n Fig. 4, thus completing the circuit, instead of allowing of its passage through plug a. A wire d connects minute hand f with one terminal n. The other or negative pole, d of dry cell or the'like d is connected by a wire 0 with one side 0 of a battery switch 0, while the other contact 0 of this switch is connected by a wire as 0 with one contact f of the clock bell switch 7). To one of the terminals m wire 0 is also connected. The second contact p of the bell switch 72, is. connected by a wire as O with one terminal of the clock bell e, the other terminal of which is connected by a wire as o to the hour hand f, and wire 0 connects, on its way to said hand, with the second of the extension bell terminals on. The plug cord connection as g or 9 extends from the contact blockrepresenting the required minutes to a hole, 8 or 8 appertaining to whatever hour plug contact block is selected.

It is not essential to have uniformity as to all parts of the ring of plates Z0 or of the plug cord contact blocks. There may be few demands for alarms at some hours, and many at others, and at some times only short, at others only long rings may be requisite and plates-la will be varied accordingly. Thus instead of an unbroken regularity of 3 plates k per set, here and there I would have more plates, or fewer, as 5 in one place and 2 in another, and in some blocks 7' I would have less, in others more, than 4: holes.

Fig. 4 shows a circuit completed by cord 9 by which to give a ring of say 20 seconds at 12.30; the plug cont-act block 3' marked with hour 12, is connected by the said cord 9 with the plug contact block 2 of the set of those provided to represent minute 30. Another cord g is shown in Fig. 1 as connecting up for a ring at 10.55, for a period of say 30 seconds.

The connecting plug cords may be loose, or have some other obvious arrangement, as by being permanently attached to the clock casing, with or without weights or springs to draw the slack of the cords into the casing out of view. Thus instead of cord 9 Fig. 1 being removable, its end in hour plug contact block j may be permanent. There may be any number of permanent cords -in each, or any desired plug contact block.

The battery switch 0 prevents operation of alarm, when put in the off position, that is over to stop 0 in Fig. 4:, 0 showing the on position. The ofi position of clock bell switch 79 is at p Fig. 4. This switch serves to disconnect local or clock bell e, when rings by the latter are not wanted. and when it is required that the extension bell shall ring.

The solid block areas in Figs: 1 and represent insulating material.

I may in some cases use clock hands integrallv of a length suited to carry the contact wheels, and may substitute other means for contact wheels.

What I claim Letters Patent for United States is 1. In an electric alarm device of the character described, the combination with a clock having a dlal, and hands mounted -to rotate about the dial, of a series of groups of minute hand contact plates, each group comprising a plurality of plates of different sizes to provide alarms of difierent durations, a series of hour hand contact plates, a plurality of minute hand contact blocks, each comprising a plurality of plates of different sizes insulated one from another, having a plurality of plug receiving apertures therein, and having a plug receiving aperture formed centrally ofeach of said blocks, whereby each of the plates constituting each of said blocks may be electrically united to provide an alarm of the duration of an entire group of contact plates, a plurality of hour hand con-- clock mounted in the upper casing having a dial and hands rotating about the dial; an

annulus of insulating material set in the 1 upper casing and arranged concentrically with respect to the dial; two independent series of contact plates embedded in said annulus; one of said series comprising a plurality of groups of plates spaced at five minute intervals one from another and occupying a space embraced within a minute marking, each of the groups comprising three plates of different widths insulated one from another to provide alarms of different durations, the second of said series comprising a plurality of relatively long plates arranged concentrically with said first-named series and having a minimum of insulation between them; means on the minute hand adapted to contact with the first-named series of plates; means on the hour hand adapted to contact with the second-named series; two sets of contact blocks located on the exterior of the front wall of the lower casing, one of said sets comprising a plurality of blocks each composed of three plates corresponding with the plates in said first-named series, each plate having a plurality of plug receiving apertures of different sizes, and having a plug receiving aperture formed centrally of each of said blocks whereby each of the plates constituting each of said blocks may be electrically united to provide an alarm of the duration of an entire group, the second of said sets comprising a plurality of blocks having each a plurality of plug receiving apertures therein of different sizes; a wire connecting each of the plates of said first-named series of contact plates with the corresponding late in the first-named set of contact bloc s; a w1re connecting each of the plates of said second-named series of contact plates with the corresponding block in said second-named set; a plurality of plug and cord connections associated with each contact block and being of dilferent sizes to fit the difierent plug receiving apertures; a battery located in the lower casing; Wires connecting said battery with the hands of the clock; and a bell located in the lower casing and included in the 10 I FREDERICK G058,

Witnesses 3 LEO STANISLAUS RICE, JIM WILFRED LEN O DONNELL. 

